Zero Four Hundered
by PurpleStar12
Summary: Just a short little story about their time onboard the Russian ship, follows episode 8. its a Tom Chandler/ Rachel Scott fic. hope you enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not Mine :( **

**PS: for the purposes of my story Tom is widowed and his wife passed away a few years ago, but still wears his ring etc.**

* * *

His captors shoved Tex and him into the Admiral's room. He kept his head down mentally preparing himself for further questioning or worse torture. They came to a halt and prepared for another confrontation he slowly raised his head.

Shock. Pure utter shock and then fear ran through his mind the moment he saw her. She wasn't supposed to be here, what was she doing on this ship?

'What the hell are you doing here?' the question was out before he could stop himself.

The next thing he knew she was running towards him and her lips where on his.

* * *

It was supposed to be a quick kiss, just to pass on the note. But, as soon as her lips met his there was a spark she couldn't deny and it definitely lasted longer than it should have. Maybe if the situation was different and she hadn't offered herself up as the sacrificial lamb to get him back then they could continue.

But, it wasn't and she was soon roughly pulled off of him.

The kiss did what it was supposed to. The Captain had the note and she had shocked the Admiral into believing he was the reason she gave herself up. Deep down she knew that a tiny part of her, offered to do this because it was him.

* * *

All the way back to their little cage, Tom could feel Tex's questioning eyes on him and he knew that once they were back in their little cell he would get an earful.

He was right, before the guard could even take the cuffs off, Tex had begun rambling. Half listening to his friend, as that's what he had become in the last few weeks, he turned away from the guard and removed the object from his mouth.

He had to give it to her, she was good. He had no idea what she was about to do until she pushed the object into his mouth. He mentally laughed, she did good. Although that in no way means she will be off the hook when they get back to the Nathan James. She failed to listen to him again. She needs to be kept safe and it was his job to do that and Mike should have known he would never put her in danger. Not only was she the one person who could save the world, but she is the person who can save his children.

Deep down he knows that's not the only reason he feels protective over her. Not the she needs protecting. She can handle herself, heck the amount of times she has stood defiant against him, she definitely doesn't need a protector. Yet, he will protect her nonetheless. He will have to hand Mike his ass for letting her come, even though he knows there is little Mike could have done to stop her once she's made her mind up.

As he read the note out loud, he had already begun planning a route out of her and to the meet point. Tex, focused again, confirms that they are heavily guarded, confirming that they will need to stay sharp. Still he couldn't shake the doc out of his mind.

He hoped she was okay and that he could get Quincy's family off safe too. He had a mission to complete and thinking about the doc wouldn't do. Yet he can't help muttering 'God Damn it! He had to send her'

He could feel the anger building within and Tex rambling about how it should have been him wasn't helping.

'Tex, zero four hundred' he responded and repeated to himslef as if it was a mantra. Zero four hundred would be when he can get her off this God awful ship and back to the Nathan James safe.

Stay calm, focus and complete the mission. Deal with the rest later. That's what he would do until zero four hundred.

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**A/N: Thank you to anyone who reads this. Hope you enjoyed it..I just had to write something after that kiss. **

**apologies for any mistakes, it has been a while since ive felt the desire to write. **

**Don't really know if its any good, but please feel free to let me know whether to continue or not :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all a huge thank you to all those who have reviewed my story. I thought i would get this published before episode 9 airs. **

**really hope you guys like it and apologies for any mistakes.**

**PS - to Shepweir always - i love the name 'Rachandler'. **

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That idiot! That stupid idiot! It was all because of him. 4 billion people dead because he wanted to play God and be remembered as the hero. Made _himself_ patient zero. Just thinking about it made her want to scream in frustration. She felt disgusted just being in the same room as him, but knew it had to be done in order to save the captain and Tex. She had a part to play and she will do it, hopefully without having to use the gun.

Was he really that incompetent that he didn't know that he could possibly become a carrier? What kind of scientist is he anyway? And he thinks she would let him anywhere near the vaccine? Especially after letting all those people die unnecessarily, just because there was 'no benefit of coming forward'.

He didn't want to save anyone, not really, he wanted to be needed. He wanted to be the saviour. Well, not on her watch. She saw the frustration and anger on his face when she told him that she had created a vaccine without him. He didn't need to know that it was yet untested on humans and only worked on one monkey.

What she needed though was to get away from this walking disaster. How did the Admiral get him on the ship safely anyway? Is the ship infected? Rachel pushed the ever increasing questions to the back of her mind. Right now she needed to talk to the Admiral, to show him that this 'scientist' wasn't needed like he believed for the vaccination.

* * *

She listened to the Admiral rant and did what he asked, biding her time till zero four hundred. She could feel him watching her retrieve the vaccine from the container and couldn't help her nerves. The Admiral was paranoid as it was and she couldn't give up her game, not now. But, the false bottom was tricky and kept moving.

Eventually and she has no idea how she managed to pull it off, Rachel retrieved the vaccination and injected the older man. Emotionlessly, she watched the man being hauled into the containment box. From here on it would be a waiting game. At least, she thought to herself, she would get a chance to see if the vaccination was effective immune against the virus.

* * *

Their comfortable silence was invaded by the Admiral sauntering in. He cleared his mind prepared for a confrontation and let Tex do all the talking, chuckling at his witty remarks, all the while listening to every sound and movement of the men in the room.

All sense of calm and clarity he recently attained is abruptly pulled away from him, for a few seconds, when the Admiral informs him that Dr Scott has the vaccine. He couldn't believe that she had done it. of course he knew she would have created a vaccine eventually. He has, afterall read her files, shes one of the best in her field and he has faith in her.

Tom once again listens to the Russian Admiral continue on about his twisted sense of the American dream now that the vaccine was 'his'. Which of course is followed by the typical villainous threat of 'you can join me or everyone dies' as the corner of his eyes he can see Tex needlessly worry that his desire to save the crew will trump his morals. Tom Chandler does not and will not ever join the likes of the Admiral. Devoid of all emotion he looks directly at the Admiral and repeats his earlier statement.

'My name is Tomas Chandler, Commander of the United States Navy, serial number 4242022634'

The Admiral, clearly not bothered about whether the crew of the Nathan James joins him or not leaves them to their comfortable silence once again.

An hour later he and Tex, make it out of the cage, removing any threats along the way. After meeting the cavalry at the designated area all he wants to do is get to her.

* * *

The moment he walked in she knew she was in trouble and would have to use the gun. Making up a tale about needing a second dose of the vaccine for it to be effective didn't take much. Reaching into the container she tried to assemble the silencer onto the gun. But, she was panicking too much, her hands were shaking. She's never used a gun on anyone before but knows it has to be done.

The first shot penetrates his left shoulder, not enough to keep him down. Fear and panic arose in her again, 'focus Rachel' she thought 'steady your arm and fire'. It took a couple of tries but this time when she fired it was a head shot and his blood splattered on the wall behind the now dead man.

She kept the gun aimed at the dead man, even though she knew beyond a doubt he would not be rising again. She, who tries so hard to save people, had just shot someone dead in cold blood. She tried to reassure herself that 'He was a bad guy' and that It had to be done, but the strength behind her reassurances were begining to crack.

* * *

Looking into the containment box, she saw the man who started all of this. Without a seconds though she aimed the weapon at him. How easy it would be to kill him. To take his life, like he did to billions of people.

Rationally she knows that breaching the containment area would expose her to the virus, but in that moment she didn't care.

She heard the door creak open and quickly pointed the gun at the door. It was the rescue team from the Nathan James. Someone was telling her to put the weapon down, but nothing was registering in her mind. She just murdered someone and was willing to murder another person. What was she becoming?

It was then she saw him, the captain, for some reason seeing him made her feel safe, like everything would be okay now. Even though she knew it would never be the same. He took the gun off of her and guided her like a lost child out of the room, not letting go of her arm until they were away from the body.

* * *

Getting off the ship became a lot harder, if that was even possible, than to begin with. When it hits him, that no alarms had been sounded nor were any alerts of missing prisoners made. He was 100% sure that they had already checked the now empty cage. Alerting the rest of the team of his thoughts, they made for the secondary escape route.

After, falling under heavy fire and blowing up the majority of the Vyerni, they all successfully made it off the ship. Tom couldn't help glancing towards Dr Scott. On the outside it seemed like handling herself well, but he could tell she was still on edge. He would have to have a talk with her once they safely get back on the Nathan James, maybe over some of that terrible tea of hers.

He is pulled out of his thoughts when Danny shouts 'Cossetti!'. The young officer has been hit. He had hoped, in vain apparently, that there would be no casualties. He took one final glance at the despondent Dr before fully concentrating on Cossetti.

The rest of the journey was made in a sombre mood with everyone hoping that Cossetti would last long enough till they got back on the ship.

* * *

Back on the Nathan James they were met with curious members of the crew who were waiting to welcome the Captain back on the ship, only to be met with a solemn Captain and Danny carrying their fallen comrade.

Tom couldn't handle the questioning stared of his crew, not now, silently he walks up to his XO and nods. Mike will know that he's thankful for the rescue mission, sad about Cossetti and livid about letting Rachel be used as a bargaining chip. Mike also knows that he is willing to leave it for now and will deal with the mess tomorrow.

The anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach, screaming at her that another mishap could happen didn't settle until she could see the Nathan James up ahead. It was only then that a sense on calm washed over her finally. The ship had become a a safety blanket for her, like nothing or noone can hurt her as long as she is onboard the Nathan James.

She can't help but let out a small smile of appreciation to Mike and is shocked that she receives the XO's own version of a proud smile in return. She's thankful that he let her do this, that he let her prove herself to the crew after her initial deceit.

Rachel knows that both she and Mike are in for a lecture from the Commander, but Mike doesn't deserve that and she would make sure that the Commander understands. Understands that she would have handed herself over whether or not Mike agreed. Does he not understand the world needed him; the crew needed him and as she finally accepted, so did she.

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**Thanks to everyone who reads this chapter. **

**I don't know whether to leave it here, or do one more chapter to show what happens when Tom calms down and 'speaks' to Rachel and Mike.**


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